Original Study Title: Effect of a Cetylated Fatty Acid Topical Cream on Functional Mobility and Quality of Life of Patients with Osteoarthritis

Published In: Journal of Rheumatology, Vol. 31, 2004, pp. 767–774

Authors: Kraemer WJ, Ratamess NA, Anderson JM, Maresh CM, Tiberio DP, Joyce ME, et al.

Summary:
These weren’t just stiff, aching knees on a questionnaire — they were people trying to climb stairs, get out of a chair, and walk without wincing. With cetylated fatty acid cream, those everyday movements got easier and quicker, and knees moved more freely. Relief showed up within 30 minutes and kept building over 30 days, turning guarded motion into more confident, capable movement.

Study Design:

• Type: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial
  
• Participants: 40 adults with osteoarthritis in one or both knees
  
• Duration: 30 days (with testing at baseline, 30 minutes after first application, and after 30 days)
  
• Control: Placebo topical cream

Key Results:

• Significantly faster stair-climbing and Timed Up-and-Go times at 30 minutes and 30 days in the CFA group vs placebo.
  Significantly faster stair-climbing and Timed Up-and-Go times at 30 minutes and 30 days in the CFA group vs placebo.
  
• Increased knee range of motion and improved medial step-down performance only in the CFA group.
  
• Greater gains in unilateral anterior reach (balance) for both legs with CFA compared to placebo.

Read the full study below:

J Rheumatol 2004;31:767-74

Original Study Title: Short-Term Effect of Topical Cetylated Fatty Acid on Early and Advanced Knee Osteoarthritis: A Multi-Center Study

Published In: Archives of Rheumatology, Vol. 33(4), 2018, pp. 438–442

Authors: Ariani A, Parisi S, Guidelli GM, Bardelli M, Bertini A, Fusaro E

Summary:
This study looked at real-world knee arthritis — from earlier changes on X-ray to more advanced joint damage. With just one week of twice-daily CFA cream, patients reported less pain, less stiffness, and better function on the WOMAC scale. Even with advanced disease, knees felt and worked better, suggesting that a short course of topical CFA can meaningfully dial down everyday symptoms.

Study Design:

• Type: Multi-center, prospective, open-label, single-arm study (pre- vs post-treatment)
  
• Participants: 113 adults with radiographically confirmed knee osteoarthritis (Kellgren–Lawrence grade 2 or 3)
  
• Duration: 1 week of CFA cream applied twice daily
  
• Control: None (no placebo or comparison group)
  

Key Results:

• One week of CFA cream significantly reduced overall WOMAC scores for the full patient cohort.

• WOMAC pain, stiffness, and physical function subscale scores all improved significantly after treatment.

• Symptom relief was seen in both early (K–L grade 2) and advanced (K–L grade 3) OA, with slightly stronger evidence in advanced OA.

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Arch Rheumatol 2018;33(4):438-442

Original Study Title: Cetylated Fatty Acids Improve Knee Function in Patients with Osteoarthritis

Published In: Journal of Rheumatology, Vol. 29, 2002, pp. 1708–1712

Authors: Hesslink RL Jr, Armstrong D, Nagendran MV, Sreevatsan S, Barathur RR

Summary:
Here, cetylated fatty acids weren’t rubbed on — they were taken by mouth. Over roughly two months, people with chronic knee osteoarthritis bent their knees further, moved with more confidence, and reported better function on the Lequesne index compared to placebo. This trial showed that oral CFA could help joints work, not just hurt less, pointing toward a systemic support for worn-down knees.

Study Design:

• Type: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial
  
• Participants: 64 adults with chronic knee osteoarthritis
  
• Duration: 68 days, with assessments at baseline, ~30 days, and study end
  
• Control: Oral placebo capsules
  

Key Results:

• CFA group showed about a 10° increase in knee flexion after 68 days vs ~1° in the placebo group.

• Lequesne Algofunctional Index scores improved more with CFA (−5.4 points) than with placebo (−2.1 points).

• More patients on CFA reported less pain and some reduction in swelling, despite no change in knee extension or morning stiffness.

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J Rheumatol 2002;29:1708-12

Original Study Title: A Cetylated Fatty Acid Topical Cream With Menthol Reduces Pain and Improves Functional Performance in Individuals With Arthritis

Published In: Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, Vol. 19(2), 2005, pp. 475–480

Authors: Kraemer WJ, Ratamess NA, Maresh CM, Anderson JA, Volek JS, Tiberio DP, Joyce ME, Messinger BN, French DN, Sharman MJ, Rubin MR, Gómez AL, Silvestre R, Hesslink RL Jr

Summary:
This extension study added menthol to the CFA cream and asked a simple question: do people actually move better and hurt less? In just one week, patients with arthritis of the knee, elbow, or wrist climbed stairs faster, stood up and walked more easily, and showed stronger endurance in the painful joints — all while reporting less pain. The menthol-enhanced CFA cream turned “I can’t do that” into “I can do more than I thought” in only seven days.

Study Design:

• Type: Pre-post experimental treatment study (single treatment group, no concurrent control)
  
• Participants: 28 adults with physician-diagnosed arthritis: 10 with knee OA, 8 with severe elbow pain, 10 with severe wrist pain
  
• Duration: 1 week of twice-daily topical CFA + menthol application
  
• Control: No control group in this extension study (prior placebo-controlled data referenced from earlier work)

Key Results:

• In knee OA, stair-climbing and Timed Up-and-Go performance improved by about 12% after one week of CFA + menthol cream.

• Balance/strength improved by ~16.5% and knee range of motion by ~3.5%, alongside reductions in pain.

• In elbow and wrist arthritis, dynamic and isometric muscular endurance increased by ~22–42%, with pain reductions but no change in maximal grip strength.

Read the full study below:

Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2005, 19(2), 475–480

Original Study Title: Oral Cetylated Fatty Acids for the Improvement of Functional Ability and Pain in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis

Published In: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial; data presented in conference abstract format (Scripps Integrative / Medicus Research), 2007

Authors: Udani JK, Singh B, Torreliza M, Crabtree M, Zhang G

Summary:
This trial followed something patients feel every day: how far they can actually walk. People with moderate knee osteoarthritis who took oral CFA walked hundreds of feet farther in six minutes than those on placebo — and kept improving over eight weeks. Pain scores on multiple visual analog scales dropped meaningfully, turning each walk from a grim chore into something more manageable and less dominated by knee discomfort.

Study Design:

• Type: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial
  
• Participants: 93 adults with moderate knee osteoarthritis (47 CFA, 46 placebo)
  
• Duration: 8 weeks, with evaluations at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks (6-minute walk and symptom scales also reported at earlier timepoints)
  
• Control: Oral placebo capsules
  

Key Results:

• CFA group walked substantially farther in 6 minutes, gaining +537 ft at 8 weeks vs a ~106 ft decrease in the placebo group.

• Knee pain on all four VAS pain items decreased significantly with CFA and was superior to placebo by week 8.
  
• Multiple pain and function scores improved over time in both groups, but walking distance and VAS pain clearly favored CFA, with no adverse events reported.

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Udani 6 minute walking distance

Original Study Title: Effects of Treatment With a Cetylated Fatty Acid Topical Cream on Static Postural Stability and Plantar Pressure Distribution in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis

Published In: Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, Vol. 19(1), 2005, pp. 115–121

Authors: Kraemer WJ, Ratamess NA, Maresh CM, Anderson JA, Tiberio DP, Joyce ME, Messinger BN, French DN, Sharman MJ, Rubin MR, Gómez AL, Volek JS, Salvestre R, Hesslink RL Jr

Summary:
This study asked what happens when you simply stand still. With CFA cream, people with knee osteoarthritis showed less wobble — their center of pressure moved less and more slowly during quiet standing. In other words, they were steadier on their feet. Placebo users didn’t see those same gains, suggesting that when knee pain eases, balance and confidence in standing quietly can follow.

Study Design:

• Type: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial
  
• Participants: 40 adults with osteoarthritis in one or both knees (20 CFA, 20 placebo)
  
• Duration: 30 days of twice-daily topical cream application, with testing before and after treatment
  
• Control: Placebo topical cream (identical base cream without cetylated fatty acid blend)
  

Key Results:

• CFA cream significantly reduced center-of-pressure excursion length and velocity after 30 days, while placebo showed no change.

• No significant overall changes were found in mean forefoot, rearfoot, or rearfoot-to-forefoot plantar pressure ratios in either group.
  
• In a dominance-based subgroup, right-to-left forefoot plantar pressure ratios improved, and overall data indicated better static postural stability with CFA, likely related to pain relief during standing.

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Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2005, 19(1), 115–121